SALT LAKE CITY (Ticker) -- Karl Malone and the Utah Jazz had
their way with the Los Angeles Lakers, with or without Dennis
Rodman.

Malone was the early recipient of John Stockton's 13,000th
career assist and scored 27 points as the red-hot Jazz routed
the Lakers, 109-93, for their 10th straight victory.

Malone averaged 29.8 points in four games against the Lakers
this season. Eleven days ago, he torched Rodman for 30 points on
12-of-12 shooting in a 13-point win at Los Angeles.

"It was a nice win for us, a good team effort," Malone said. "We
didn't want to get caught up in what's going on with their team
so like I said, it was a nice win."

Rodman, signed by the Lakers to give them a defensive presence
against Malone, was waived late Thursday after a series of team
rules violations and distractions. J.R. Reid and Travis Knight
split the power forward position tonight and combined for one
point and six rebounds in 44 minutes.

The Jazz have the longest winning streak in the NBA this season.
At 31-8, they are 1 1/2 games ahead of Portland for the league's
best record and home-court advantage throughout the playoffs.

Considered a title contender, the Lakers (25-16) lost for the
10th time in their last 19 games. The three-game skid matches
their longest of the season and they are fifth in the West, two
games behind Houston.

"It's not going to turn around overnight," Lakers coach Kurt
Rambis said. "They're a very good ballclub and they exploit
everybody's weaknesses. But I thought as a whole we showed some
positives."

Shaquille O'Neal had 29 points and 14 rebounds for the Lakers,
who have allowed at least 100 points in five of their last seven
games and are 25th in the league in defense.

"I could see the effort," Rambis said. "I could see them trying
to do the things that we worked on, but we did have breakdowns
which got us into trouble."

Stockton had nine points and seven assists in just 23 minutes.
With 6:13 remaining in the first quarter, the all-time assists
leader collected No. 13,000 when he fed Malone for a basket.

"I ain't done and he ain't done so we'll see," Malone said. "He
don't amaze me anymore because I think we expect a lot out of
him. ... I don't think personally that one right there will ever
be broken because the mind-set of other point guards in the
league, with the exception of maybe two or three of them, no one
wants to pass the basketball."

"He's a very unselfish player," Jazz coach Jerry Sloan said. "We
get letters all the time about why we don't let him shoot more
but one of the things he's been able to do is think about his
team first. That's what makes him a great player. Players like
to play with people who will pass the basketball and it makes
the game come a little bit easier."

The Jazz took control at the beginning of the second quarter. In
an 18-4 burst that turned a one-point lead into a 43-28
advantage, seven players scored, including 38-year-old Thurl
Bailey.

The Lakers closed to 52-40 at halftime but the Jazz opened the
third quarter with a 9-4 burst. A jumper by Jeff Hornacek, who
scored 20 points, gave Utah a 61-44 bulge with 9:17 left in the
third quarter.

A basket by Rick Fox with 6:05 left in the period were the first
points from the Lakers' bench. Los Angeles became unglued later
in the period, as Rambis was whistled for a technical foul and
Fox was called for a flagrant foul on Malone.

Two free throws by Malone, who was 13-of-14 from the line, were
part of a 9-2 spurt that extended Utah's lead to 78-56 with 2:53
left. The Jazz led 82-60 after three quarters and took their
largest lead at 92-69 on a jumper by Bailey with 7:24 to play.

"The game got kind of funny out there," said Bailey, who scored
seven points. "They're trying to deal with some things on their
team and we just couldn't allow ourselves to get caught up in
it."